With sales at an all-time high, the popularity of the pickup-style truck as an everyday vehicle is more wide spread than it ever has been. Their utility and convenience in hauling items coupled with the availability of luxury interiors and extended cab space have made the pickup a popular alternative to other vehicles. However, one (1) particular aspect of a pickup truck operation that is very different from a conventional motor vehicle is that of the tailgate. Since the bed is open, a locking system on the tailgate is viewed by many manufacturers as an item that can be easily deleted to save on manufacturing costs. While some manufacturers may provide a manual locking system that requires a key, almost no manufacturers provide a remote wireless locking system for the tailgate.
Unfortunately, this approach has many shortfalls. First, it exposes the tailgate itself to easy theft by allowing any passerby to simply open the tailgate, release a few pins or latches and walk off with it. Second, many pickup truck owners equip their trucks with aftermarket tonneau covers or bed shells which can be locked to provide environmental and theft protection for bed contents. Thus, access to the bed requires the key, if even provided, to lock or unlock the tailgate every time which is in sharp contrast to the convenience provided by wireless key fobs which provide access to the cab. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by remote locking and unlocking of a pickup truck tailgate can be provided by a wireless key fob in order to address these current limitations. The development of the remote electric locking mechanism for pickup truck tailgate fulfills this need.